Sugar Jones

My Homies

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Vintage Paper Repurposed

Do you salsa??

"It's my experience. And if you don't like the way it looks, then stop looking at it! Because I feel good. I don't feel like I'm supposed to be any further along or somewhere that I'm not. I'm right where I'm supposed to be."

~ Jennifer Aniston

Surviving Single Motherhood

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Once there was a refrigerator. It wasn’t a very special refrigerator. As far as appliances went, it was pretty ordinary. No water dispenser. No ice crushing function. It wasn’t really much to look at either. Some color between cream and eggshell and boring.

Just a refrigerator.

The first home of this ordinary appliance was with a family. I don’t know who they were. I only know that when they upgraded, they passed on the plain vanilla fridge to a young couple just starting out in life. They had both recently graduated from college and were in their first “real” jobs as managers for big companies with household names. In fact, this fridge was regularly stocked with some of the products that the groom represented. They worked hard and did well and soon moved into a home stocked with all new appliances.

What were they going to do with the fridge?

The bride had an assistant at the hotel that she worked at. That assistant was a single mom that always seemed to be just a little behind, no matter how hard she worked. The single mom not only worked for this new bride, but for brides-to-be on their wedding days as a coordinator. She was even known to work during the holidays checking coats for all the big parties at the hotel. And she heard that she was also waiting tables at night. She would do well some day, but at that moment, this mom was struggling. “Could you use this fridge?” The assistant was so thankful and tears filled her eyes at the kindness of this woman. She finally would have more than a cooler to store her family’s food.

The assistant did work hard and eventually was awarded a position opening up a new hotel in another city. She found a home for the fridge. It went to a struggling family who had just moved into the complex she was leaving. It wasn’t anything pretty to look at, she told the family, but they didn’t mind. They were just happy to not have to worry about paying extra rent for a place to keep the food that would feed their own family.

Just a plain, no frills, no ice maker, boring vanilla refrigerator.

I’m not really sure where that fridge ended up. I think about that simple appliance all the time and wonder… I hope it gave a few more families some relief, however small, for a few more stops. It’s amazing how something so plain and so simple made such an impact on the lives of so many.

How do we impact the lives of others? How do our small offerings make a big difference to those around us? Some of us will never know the peace that a person feels after being given something of little value to others, but of greater consequence to them. This is the season that we remember those little things. My hope is that the spirit of giving stay alive throughout the year. This is going to be a time in history when we will have many opportunities to find simple solutions for others that may possibly impact not only how they live, but how we all live. I pray for God to open my eyes to those opportunities and that I continue to be blessed with the chance to fill some needs for others... however simple.

Please come back VERY soon for a chance to impact the lives of others. VERY VERY soon!

;)

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Sugar Jones

11 comments:

Your blog touched me. My husband is adamantly opposed to yard sales. In 15 years of marriage we have upgraded refrigerators, couches, tables, washing machines and even a vacuum cleaner. They weren't in perfect condition when we were done with them, but certainly still usable. When I was younger, my husband's resistance to "make a few bucks" by selling this still-usable stuff used to drive me insane. However, after reading your blog, I can smile and admit that (gasp!) my husband was right. Our hand-me-downs did more good than the few bucks we would have earned from them ever could have.

I've been the recipient of hand-me-down appliances in the past, and am currently living without a fridge or stove, so I know that even just the small gesture of giving away an old, unneeded appliance can make a world of difference!

And the stories these gifts that keep on giving could tell. We have been on both sides of that coin. Freecycle is a great organization to facilitate the process of giving. I like to say it is part of my contribution to 'going green'. :) Thanks for sharing!

What a beautiful story! I think passing things on is so helpful. Simple things can make a huge difference. Recently I sent someone a book I had about becoming a VA. A few dollars shipping and maybe I'm helping her on the road to self-employment and being able to spend more time with her children.

I love what you've written. I have been (over the past few years) on the side of "hand-me-down" clothing for my family and anything else. Right now we are borrowing an old truck from a friend because ours broke down about 8 months ago and we haven't been able to replace it. Our dryer broke about a month ago, so we've been hang drying our clothes in our apartment, we are always behind on our monthly bills and the late fees are killing us; My family is feeling the crunch right now and reading your story made me feel like there is hope. There is a brighter side to the hardships were facing right now. I thank you for writing it. I only wish I had the ability to write the way that you do. I'm horrible when it comes to sitting down and writing out those sorts of things...